The Time of Our Lives
by AlyciaL
Summary: Hermione and Draco fell in love and wed in their seventh year. Ten years after the war had started, Voldemort was defeated. Yet Harry soon learned that every victory comes with a price only this time, the price was bigger than any of them could imagine.


Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

The Time of Our Lives

Ten years, four months and ten days since the war between the dark and light had begun, and the day had finally arrived, of victory and freedom. 

The dark days of the wizarding world were over.

Voldemort was defeated.

'You-Know-Who' was no longer ineffable. It was nothing but a name in history.

People started to rebuild what was ruined in the war. Kids remembered how to laugh and adults remembered how to love. A new era had started to bloom.

Everyone in the wizarding society rejoiced. Parties were held everywhere. Streets were packed with wizards in celebration. The air was filled with fire whiskey and butterbeer.

Everybody was ecstatic over the fall of Voldemort. They were too overwhelmed by the joy of victory to wonder who had defeated Voldemort. They were too immersed in their own happiness and failed to register the fact that victory did not just fall from the sky.

Everything comes with a _price_. So did victory.

* * *

There can be no triumph without lost.  
No victory without suffering.  
No freedom without sacrificing.

Grimmauld Place, unlike the liveliness elsewhere, was shadowed by a gloomy and dark atmosphere.

The house was filled with people: the living and the dead.

Everything and everyone was quiet in the house. Even Mrs. Black had sensed the sorrow in the air and ceased her never-ending wailing.

Nymphadora Tonks fastened the bandage around Lupin's wounded torso and glanced around the room.

Near the stairway sat Mrs. Weasley. She was sitting beside the lifeless body of her husband. She stroked his paled cheeks tenderly with tears streaming down her grief-stricken face.

Alastor Moody, Ron Weasley, Hannah Abbott, and Oliver Wood's stoned cold bodies lay meters apart from a wounded Terry Boot. Luna Lovegood was tending to the gash in his abdomen while Neville Longbottom struggled with the bandages to wrap around his own bloodied leg.

People that were downstairs were either dead or not severely wounded. Those in a critical situation were rushed upstairs upon their arrival.

Tonks shook her head and buried her face into her husband's chest, carefully avoiding his wounds. Lupin wrapped his arms around her and murmured a chain of soothing words beside her ears.

She felt like crying. She felt the prickly-feeling in her eyes yet tears failed to form in them. Too many tears they had shed. Too many lives they had lost. There were no tears left for her to cry. She, like everyone else, was drained both physically and mentally.

She lifted her head from Lupin's embrace once she heard the sound of footsteps.

A haggard and worn looking McGonagall appeared at the stairway.

"Ho…How...How is Harry?"

Tonks did not realize how hoarse her voice sounded until she had spoken.

A thin smile appeared on McGonagall's firm face.

"He's a bloody mess yet, but he will pull it through. He will survive."

A sense of relief rushed through Tonks and Lupin. Yet seconds later a frown appeared on Tonks' face.

"Then…How are Hermione and Draco? They're fine too right?"

At that instance, the smile on McGonagall's face collapsed.

Tears that Tonks thought had long drained streamed down her face from her sorrowful eyes.

* * *

_Flashback_

_Harry Potter was running across the field. Blood dripped along his way._

_It did not matter to him how much pain he was enduring from his physical wounds. He had defeated Voldemort!_

_At last that evil disgusting old bastard was gone for good._

_Hexes and curses were flying over his head._

_Dragging his overwrought body, he ducked some while sending a few curses toward the remaining Death Eaters._

_Suddenly, he halted mid-step._

_He stood still in the middle of the battle ground with his wand clutched tightly in his hand. Beads of cold sweat streamed down his bloodstained face._

_A momentary shock hit him when his wearied mind registered the scene in front of him._

_Ginny Potter was lying in a crimson pool. Her arms and legs were tangled in strange angles. Her eyes…There was nothing in her eyes. It was dark, empty, and…lifeless._

_He did not notice Adrian Pucey aiming his wand toward him. He did not hear Hermione's piercing scream of his name. He did not see Hermione running toward him. He did not see Draco running after her with fear in his silver gray orbs._

_"Inficio Cruciamentum!"_

_Then everything began to move in a slow motion._

_He saw Hermione crash into his body with Draco wrapping his arms around her._

_A shower of black blood splashed onto his face from Hermione's mouth._

_He fainted._

_End of Flashback _

* * *

"Harry!" 

Harry Potter thrashed wildly on the bed.

Blood seeped from his wounds smearing the fresh bandages that were wrapped around his upper body.

"HARRY!"

Harry Potter snapped open his eyes and jerked up from his laying form. However he bent reflexively as the immense pain of his wounds hit him.

"Harry, are you all right?"

He clutched a hand tightly around his stomach and focused on the person beside his bed.

"Cho?"

Cho Chang pulled Harry into a light embrace.

"Oh thank God. I'm so glad you are all right, Harry."

Reality dawned on him.

The war had ended. He was in Grimmauld Place. His room, his bed. His sanctuary.

He felt himself unable to move, only able to mutter out a single word, "Ginny."

He felt Cho tighten her embrace with tears flowing down her face.

"Oh I'm so sorry Harry."

Suddenly, something struck his disarrayed mind. He pushed away from Cho in panic.

"Where...Where is Hermione? How is she? I recall... I recall seeing her just before I fainted. How is she...How's Draco?"

Cho stumbled backwards and looked at Harry with an odd expression.

Harry struggled out from the bed and stared at her with fury and horror in his eyes.

"I asked how they are! Tell me God dammit!"

Unable to obtain a response from Cho, he pushed her out of the way and limped toward the hallway using the wall as support.

His mind was in a frantic mess.

He must find Hermione. He needed to see her.

A rushing figure passed him by.

He grabbed his arm and found himself looking into the face of Dean Thomas.

"Dean, where's Hermione?"

Dean looked at him with wide eyes yet he kept his mouth shut.

"O God bless us, God bless you, you're awake!"

Harry Potter released his grasp and turned around upon hearing McGonagall's voice.

She was standing beside a door staring at him with tears in her eyes.

"Professor! Where's Hermione? How is she? No one wants to tell me where she is and how is Draco?"

McGonagall stared at Harry with an expression Harry could not register.

Slowly, she moved away from the open door she was leaning on.

"You better come have a look yourself, Harry."

* * *

_There was a dream  
Long time ago  
…………_

_Hermione was sitting on the couch in the head prefect's common room._

_Hogwarts: A History propped up against her crossed legs. Her eyes were skimming through the thin lines yet nothing managed to register into her mind._

_She waved her wand lightly in the air._

_2:16 A.M._

_Her lips turned into a deep frown._

_Draco wasn't back yet._

_Suddenly, a pair of slightly calloused hands covered her eyes from behind._

_A strong musky scent filled her nostrils when the owner of the hand bent down and whispered into her ear._

_"Guess who am I?"_

_Hermione refrained herself from the urge to roll her eyes. She had been worried all day and she was definitely not in the mood to play._

_She grabbed his hands and turned._

_Staring into his intoxicating silver gray orbs, she sighed._

_"Draco, where have you been all day?"_

_Draco Malfoy slipped out from her grasp and sat down beside her. He drawled with a smirk plastered on his pointed face, carelessly waving his hand in the air._

_"Well, you know how popular I am. Plenty of things to do, people to see."_

_Hermione shook her head._

_Sometimes she wondered how she could tolerate his insufferable act and super-inflated ego._

_She lowered her tone threateningly._

_"Draco…"_

_Draco Malfoy lifted a hand and brushed some stray hair away from her face._

_"Well, Hermione, do you remember what you said to me at the start of this year?"_

_Hermione unconsciously bit her lips and lowered her head._

_"Quit it."_

_She snapped up her head in confusion._

_"Huh?"_

_Draco placed his hand on her lips and massaged lightly._

_"Quit the habit of biting your lips when you are anxious or nervous."_

_"Oh."_

_Hermione felt blood rushing up her cheeks when she felt his thumb rubbing her lips._

_"So do you remember?"_

_Pulling his hand away from her mouth, she held his hand in hers._

_"Yes, I said we have no future together."_

_Draco nodded and tugged her hand._

_"Then do you remember what my response was?"_

_"You said you will create a future for us."_

_Draco nodded again and slung an arm around Hermione's shoulder, staring into the fire pit in front of them._

_Hermione relaxed into his half embrace and leaned into his shoulder._

_"I saw Dumbledore today."_

_Hermione shot up from the couch and stared at him with joy and apprehension. "Oh my God! Tell me this is what I think it is Draco." Hermione asked in a shaky tone. "Does…Does this means next time you will stand by us to fight?"_

_Before he could answer, he was pushed back deeper into the cushion with Hermione hanging happily on his neck._

_"Oh God, thank you Draco. I'm so happy. No, I'm bloody ecstatic!"_

_Draco chuckled lightly._

_Slowly, he detangled himself from Hermione and crouched down in front of her._

_"Hermione, I said I will create a future for us and I've had it all planned out."_

_Hermione's eyes widened._

_Draco kneeled on his knees with a small velvet box in hand._

_"Miss Hermione Granger, will you marry me?"_

_Tears swelled up Hermione's eyes._

_"Yes. Yes, Draco."_

_Hermione was lying on the couch with her head against Draco's leg._

_She found herself lost in the enormous emerald ring on her fourth finger._

_"Draco?"_

_"Hmm?"_

_"If we have a son, I want him to be named Alexander Malfoy."_

_"Ha, I bet you had it in your mind ever since you saw my devilish handsome irresistible face, love."_

_Draco chuckled earning himself a light hit on his arm._

_Shifting his position slightly, Draco snuggled closer to Hermione._

_"Hermione?"_

_"What?"_

_"If we have a daughter, I want her to be named Hemera Malfoy."_

* * *

___There was a dream  
Destined to grow  
…………_

___"I now pronounce you man and wife. Mr. Malfoy, you may kiss the bride."_

___Draco Malfoy pulled Hermione into an embrace and kissed her deeply._

___Loud applause broke beside them._

___Draco and Hermione stared at each other with tears in their eyes._

___After all the hardships they had been through, they had finally wed._

___"Hermione! Congrats!"_

___Ginny Potter pulled Hermione into a warm embrace with Harry in tow._

___Harry nodded lightly toward Draco, while Ginny and Hermione were engrossed in a conversation regarding strawberries, Madam Malkin's Robes, and Ton-Tongue Toffees._

___"Congratulations mate."_

___"Thanks Potter. Where's your twin?"_

___"Ah you mean Ron? Let's say he is currently a little preoccupied with a particular canary."_

___Draco raised his brows and chuckled._

___"Ah. Weasley's Canary Cream. What a wonderful invention."_

___Both men sank into a comfortable silence staring at their respective wives._

___"Hey, ferret."_

___"What potty?"_

___"Take care of her will ya."_

___"Aa." _

* * *

Hermione was woken by a series of loud noises. She tried to open her eyes yet her motor sensory movement was too strained to comply. The moment she had regained her senses, she could feel waves of pain rushing towards her. Trying hard to ignore the pain, she pushed herself to focus toward the noises that woke her up. 

"Fuck you."

She heard the voice of someone being shoved down to the floor.

"Harry James Potter! How dare you push Madam Pomfrey?" a voice thundered.

Hermione unconsciously cringed even though she had no idea what was going on.

That voice sounded familiar yet she couldn't quite place it. Ah, Professor McGonagall.

"Fuck you all. How can you tell me there's nothing you all can do when the two of them are still lying here breathing? They are still fucking alive! Save them god dammit. You can't just do nothing!"

The mere anguish and desperation in her best friend's voice sent tears to her eyes.

Suddenly, memories swept her mind like a roll wave.

She had finished off Nott Senior when she saw Pucey sending a deadly curse toward Harry. She was not sure why Harry had not moved. The only thing that crossed her mind was to save him. She remembered throwing herself in front of Harry. She remembered someone hugging her from behind when she heard the curse being sent.

What was the curse again? She was sure she had read it somewhere from some book.

Erm. Infica Cricintamen? No. Sounds too much like Chrysanthemum. Infici Crucitmintum? Nah. Inficio Cru…….Draco.

Tears began to prick her eyes and her heart beat frantically with terror fogging her mind.

Oh God. Draco. He was the one who had shielded her.

Stretching her arms hysterically, her hands came into contact with another body lying beside her.

She searched for the person's hand and gripped it tightly. Feeling their wedding band on his finger, she knew the man beside her was her husband.

Relieved rushed through her.

His hand was cold yet she could still feel the blood pumping in his veins.

He was _alive_.

Unexpectedly, she felt the hand in hers clutch back lightly.

Hermione forced herself to open her eyes.

Ignoring the piercing pain running through her body, she turned slightly to the right and found herself meeting the warm eyes of her husband.

She returned his smile yet a frown crept up her face.

Gosh, he looked like he had been through hell.

His face was pale white.

From the cringe in his brows and the concern in his eyes, she had this tingling feeling that she was in no better condition than him.

"Bullshit!"

A loud cry brought both of their attention toward the sight in front of them.

A disarrayed Harry was standing beside their bed facing Pomfrey and McGonagall.

Draco and Hermione supported each other and dragged themselves up leaning against the pillow.

"Harr…"

Before Hermione could finish off her sentence, she felt an irritation coming up from her throat. The next thing she knew, she was retching out black blood.

Everyone in the room was staring at her with wide, horror-stricken eyes.

Looking down at the thick dark liquid on her legs, her hands began to tremble.

Her head snapped up and she looked to the side. Draco's face had gone another shade of white. She tried to open her mouth to ask if he was all right, but another series of choking and retching kept her occupied.

"Hermio…"

Hermione had forgotten the itching in her throat and the blood in her mouth once she saw a trickle of black blood dripping down the edge of Draco Malfoy's mouth.

He bit hard on his lips to stop the blood from coming out yet more blood was oozing out from his tight lips.

"Oh dear. Oh dear."

Madam Pomfrey rushed toward Draco with a small tray in hand.

"Now come on boy. Throw it out. Don't hold it. It will make you feel better."

After successfully prying Draco's stubborn hands from his mouth, the sound of his gagging and choking filled the room.

Tears streamed down Hermione's ashen face before she herself was once again overtaken by another fit of choking and coughing.

Pomfrey handed Harry a small vial of greenish potion before rushing toward Draco and forcing it down his throat.

Harry sat beside Hermione and supported her body with an arm wrapped around her waist.

"Come on, Mione. Drink it."

Breathing difficultly, Hermione bottomed up the potion in an instant.

She winced in pain as the warm liquid rushed down her sore esophagus yet the choking and coughing did come to a halt.

Draco wiped the blood from his mouth and stared at the liquid on his hand in a disgusted manner.

Draco Malfoy inched toward his wife and pulled her into a half embrace while taking in the situation.

His brain began to function and analyze.

Looking at the distress and sorrow plastered on the other occupants' faces, apprehension dawned on him.

"We are dying."

It was a statement. Not a question.

Hermione lifted her head from Draco's shoulder.

Looking into her clear brown eyes, Draco knew she had accepted the fact as well.

Harry jerked up from the bed.

"NO! I will find a way to save you. Neither of you will die."

Pushing away from Draco, Hermione grabbed Harry's hand.

Wiping the tears on his face, she leaned in and kissed him lightly on the lips.

"Harry, you know if there are any other solutions, Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall would have done it."

Smiling warmly toward Harry, Hermione wrapped her hand around Draco's.

"I'm glad that we could leave together. I really am, Harry. At least neither of us will have to suffer the lost of each other."

Shaking his head lightly, Harry leaned weakly against her shoulder.

"Is there anything I could do for you? Both of you."

Suddenly, Draco's voice shot up.

"Could you get Hemera?"

Hermione's eyes turned bittersweet.

"Yes, Harry. I would like to see her."

Harry nodded silently. Before leaving the room, he turned.

"Wait for us, Mione, Draco. I'll be quick."

"Dear, I'm so sorry. There's nothing we could do. The curse was too strong. It was so strong that it had affected both of you. I'm so sor…."

Madam Pomfrey's voice disappeared once she saw Draco motioning her to stop.

"Sometimes things are destined to be."

"Madam Pomfrey, Professor McGonagall. I would like to have some time alone with Draco, please?"

Hermione voiced wearily.

Sighing heavily, McGonagall nodded.

"We will come back to check on both of you in a short while. Come on Poppy."

* * *

_For the lifetime  
Of heartbreaks  
That brought us here today  
Will go all the way  
……………_

Hermione collapsed against Draco's shoulder once she heard the click of the door.

"Draco."

Shifting his position, Draco wrapped an arm difficulty around Hermione and let her head lean against his chest.

"Hmm?"

"After all that we had been through, I'm glad to have you all the way."

* * *

_And it feels like we're having  
The time of our lives  
Let's light the fire, find the flame  
Let's come together as one and the same  
……………_

Listening to his heart beat, Hermione smiled softly.

"Do you remember the day I gave birth to Hemera?"

Draco ran his hand against her hair and smiled.

"Yes. I fainted."

Turning around to face Draco, Hermione hovered above Draco's face.

Tears slipped from her eyes to his lips.

"I miss Hemera, Draco."

Tasting the bitterness on his lips, a lone tear streamed down his own face.

"Many people will love and take care of our princess."

Touching her forehead against his, Hermione closed her eyes.

"I know."

"Hermione."

"…Hmm?"

"Are you afraid? Do you regret everything, anything?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because we had had the time of our lives."

* * *

_Cause it feels like we're having  
The time of our lives  
We'll find the glory  
At the end  
All that we are, for all that we are  
For the time of our lives_  
……………

"I love you, bookworm."

"I love you too, ferret."

The wooden door was pushed open roughly.

"Hermione! Draco! I'm back!"

Harry rushed in the room with a four-year-old girl tagging along.

_No. Oh God please. No._

He stood in the middle of the room, unable to move.

The little girl in pink released her hand from Harry's numb one and bounced cheerfully onto the soft futon between her mom and dad.

"Mommy! Daddy!"

The little girl rolled on the bed and giggled.

Unable to obtain a response, she crooked her head to the side in confusion. Timidly, she placed her small hand on her mother's arm. Immediately, she flinched away with fear upon feeling the unusual coldness. Understanding began to dawn on her young heart.

"Mom..m..y…Da..dd.."

Choking, tears began to swell up her beautiful gray eyes.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MOMMY! DADDY! WAKE UP!"

Harry jerked out from his agonizing shock upon hearing Hemera's piercing scream.

He rushed toward the bed reflexively once he saw Hemera shaking Hermione and Draco's bodies violently.

"WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WA..KE..UP!"

Wrapping his arms around the little girl's trembling body, he pried her away with his equally trembling hands.

Falling against the floor hard, Harry pressed Hemera's head into his chest with his eyes staring blankly at the two bodies on the bed.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH……………."

Allowing the little girl to scream out her sorrow, Harry stared at the sight in front of him numbly. His mind was too shocked to acknowledge what had happened.

Patting Hemera's back unconsciously, he felt a sharp pain pierce through his heart.

"Hush, princess. I will take care of you."

Kissing the top of Hemera's head, Harry tightened his hug around the little blonde girl in his arms and rocked lightly.

"We will all take care of you. It will all be okay. Everything will be fine. Everything will be…_fine_. I promise."

Clasping his hand over his own mouth, he chocked down a loud sob with tears streaming down his face. Harry Potter had finally accepted the fact that he…had lost his best friend and best mate…_forever._

_In the end  
For all that we are  
For everything that we want to be  
……  
For the time of our lives_

* * *

The End. 

Please REVIEW!  
I love them.

Your reviews my motivation.

Credit

Thanks to my beta: Ronny and Kathleen

Song used in the story: The Time of Our Lives  
Song writer: Jörgen Elofsson  
Singer: Il Divo with Toni Braxton


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